Point Park University vs Cal U of Pa

Point Park University and California University of Pennsylvania, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Point Park, nestled in the heart of Pittsburgh, boasts a vibrant urban campus and an acceptance rate of 75%, welcoming a diverse student body. California University, situated in the charming town of California, Pennsylvania, offers a more traditional college town atmosphere and an acceptance rate of 85%, attracting a mix of local and international students. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in their popular majors, with Point Park specializing in business, communication, and the arts, and California University excelling in education, nursing, and social sciences. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to discover further distinctions between these two exceptional universities and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	California University of Pennsylvania	Point Park University
Overview
Location	California, Pennsylvania	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	Suburb: Small	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	67.0%	73.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	97.1%	82.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $35 Graduate: $35
SAT range	940 - 1150	950 - 1180
ACT range	18 - 24	18 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	38.0%	72.0%
Students submitting ACT score	6.0%	23.0%
Total number of applicants	3,933	6,076
Total number of admissions given out	3,818	5,002
Admitted students who chose to enroll	815	601
Yield rate	21.3%	12.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $27,904 Out of state: $32,522	$42,060
Average net price	$20,317	$25,004
Tuition	In state: $7,716 Out of state: $11,574	$33,870
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,822 Meal plan: $3,900	Room/dormitory: $5,640 Meal plan: $7,300
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	92.0% Average amount $6,250	100.0% Average amount $23,269
Students receiving federal student loan	62.0% Average amount $4,982	82.0% Average amount $5,539
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $9,920	22.0% Average amount $17,276

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,463 Men 43.3% Women 56.7%	2,575 Men 37.0% Women 63.0%
Graduate students	2,046 Men 30.4% Women 69.6%	930 Men 34.5% Women 65.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	13.0%	43.5%
International students	1.0%	2.5%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Small	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,075	998
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Pennsylvania Ohio New York Maryland New Jersey	Pennsylvania Ohio Florida New York Maryland

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Business Law Enforcement and Firefighting	Business Education Visual & Performing Arts Communication and Journalism Law Enforcement and Firefighting
Students to faculty ratio	19:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	48.4%	60.9%
Dropout rate	23.8%	13.3%
Transferred out	26.0%	25.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,275 Year 2: $79,284 Year 3: $81,087 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,369 Year 2: $63,402 Year 3: $67,338 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,734 Year 2: $55,693 Year 3: $63,169 Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,118 Year 2: $54,109 Year 3: $57,285 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $50,198 Year 2: $48,139 Year 3: $55,763 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,913 Year 2: $52,684 Year 3: $54,844 Legal Professions and Studies, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $51,531 Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,279 Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: $50,258 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,266 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $49,620 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,906 Year 2: $45,589 Year 3: $48,321	Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $71,087 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,927 Year 2: $57,735 Year 3: $65,135 Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,078 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $54,311 Journalism (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,590 Year 3: $52,735 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,730 Year 2: $44,942 Year 3: $50,874 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,621 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $48,207 Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,615 Year 2: $35,600 Year 3: $47,820 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,965 Year 2: $38,878 Year 3: $46,619 Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $41,193 Year 3: $44,671 Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,010 Year 2: $40,017 Year 3: $44,603

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